San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-07-19
THE DOODLE TRIAL.
Full Investigation begun Today before
the Committee.

RChey, were present ard the mayor Alder.
man kelman, Mauerman, Smyc and Conner
were absent. The clerk administered the uath
70 witnesses, DIR. Amos Graves. Mossrs l.. ).
Berg and II. l.. Berg, Alderman BClkunp,
kaitoycr, Richey, Mcssrs owen }. Cook and J .
L. OLeary. Chairman SChrCincr Informed
the first witness, DIR. Graves. OF the purpose
Of the investigation, /. G. that Alderman
Belknap had charged that some of the alder
men had been offered a bride to further the
bids of one OF the electric light Companics
DIR. Graves told what Mr.. Kalteycr had said to
him aud Others in his Office IN conversation
about the electric light plant. The Dallas
company wanted him to take stock in plant
to be established here and be an inCOrpuFatpr
of IL. He refused, stating he was an alder.
man and would not be concerned In anything
the city was concerned in. Kaltcycr did not
speak of II as "A bride offered. Understood
by the ouer IT. was TO make Kaltcycr u
stakeholder and incorporation They meant
to make II san Antonio corporation.
Here Alderman Gucrguin wanted Col. Bel
KNAPP to be present, and the mayor sent for
him, and he soon came in.
Alderman RiChey testified: Had met Mr.
Cole, OF the Dallas company but once. Then
asked him few questions about nCandc-
scent lights as compared to gas. He spoke Of
putting in his plant. Mr.. j. p Hickman. Jr
aud others were present. Hickman spoke of
me taking some stock. Cole said II would be
time enough for that when they got their
plant in operation. ! was asked to go over to
see Cole by Aid. Conner to Southern hotel say
ing he wanted me to get acquainted with
Cole. There were other matters spoken of. No
slbCh was OutTtu W me OF no lntlllhllOlS
were made by anyone. If had a cOnversa-
top with Mr.. Lewis about IL IL was Yesterday
i did not mention that | had been offered
money or stock. Lewis asked RlChey IL he did
not tell him stock had been offered him
Richey said no, | am not OF that makeup for
anybody 10 offer me stock in anything 10 get
anything through. ! know that have been
offered stock on the other side by outsiders,
but not directly. Mr.. .. j. Cook asked me to
take stock from the San Antonio Electric
Light company, but that was some time since.
lie said II was something | ought to take
stock in 1t was home industry. | have been
offered no stock for nothing. No other offers
nave been made to me. Cook came TO my
house at 9 o'clock at night to see me about II
since these bids have been before the commit
tee. His object was TO know what had been
done In committee meetings. Told MIR. Cook
we mad not made our report yet and was not
at liberty to say anything about the matter.
lS!gnedl E. l.. RICHEY.
Col. Belknap testified: | want to say have
made no charges against the aldermen, only
that stock had been protiered to the alder
men. Thought IL was so understood by the al.
dermen. On Saturday night as was crossing
the plaza, ! was accOsted by DR.. A. Graves.
We had some conversation about light4 |
said | wanted the best. He then told me ne
had 1t from good authority that
stock had been offered to the alder
men, | believe to Mr.. COnnor and Mr.
Rchey, and Richey had refused to have any
thing to do with 1t. On Sunday, talking with
l.. and II. Berg, heard same statement. On
yesterday, as was waiting for the council to
be called to order, heard the same thing, be
tween Aldermen Lewis, Gallagher and my
self. l said if they would give me time
would get the affidavit to present at the next
meeting. | was away and could know moth
ing about it. | also know that Dr. Graves
or Berg, said that Kalteyer had been offered
the presidency of the company. Kalteyer
aldermen had been bTibedI Belknap said he
had not. Kaltey0r-The paper said so this
morning.
tSigned) A BELKNAP.
Alderman Kalteyer, testified: some time
ago Mr.. Hickman, jr., introduced Mr.. Cole, of
Dallas, to me in my drug store. He called
about lighting the city with electric lights, ask
ing Tor information. | referred him to the
city clerk, as it did not concern my commit
tee. We talked about different kinds of @ &c
trio lights, but branched of about organizing
a local company, and Hickman suggested that
| would be good man as an incorporation in
the company and to take stock. He meant
that should subscribe and pay for my stock
They made no proposition. I declined to take
stock in the company, as | was an alderman.
They offered me no citizenship in the conn any,
Conversation lasted about an hour. when Dir
Graves came in | related what passed as
have testified here. | want to state the con-
versatiOn took place before any bids were
made. The gentlemen came to me as chair
man Of the telephone and telegraph commit
tee. On the evening Major Walton spoke
was returning home on Commerce o, when
met Mr.. Hickman, iT. He stopped me and be.
gan talking about electric lights. We talked
the matter over. During the conversation he
said, You ought to take stock in this com
pany." | told him no; didn't think il would
look right. He said he didn't think, as an al
derman, ! ought to refuse to engage in any
enterprise going on here. | told him / didn't
think ought to take hold and lose my vote
in the council. On neither occasion was | ap-
preached to support this thing OF vote for It.
They offered me no stock for my vote
in the council. II seems, If that's
the way, I've been tempted all around,
Berg said once: How would you
like to have some stock in good
electric light company | said no, giving
as reason, thought had enough stock in
a company with him. My bankers came to
me ana asked me If did not want to swap my
Lone Star Brewery stock for gas stock /
understand Mr.. Berg was the mover of that
also. | want to state here 1 own no stock in
no electric light or gas company. lSgnedJ
l.. S. Berg testified: would like TO preface
by saying that from testimony of Kslteyer
he suppOses Mr.. Berg was on trial. i don't
propose to dictate to you or be dictated to; all
| know is what common rumOr says. Alder
man Conner took Richey to the hotel and in
trOduced him TO Cole and retired. In CONVEX
satiOn stock was offered to RiChcy, whether &c
| be paid for or not, don't know, if he would
| favor this enterprise. | also heard Of this
stock being offered to incOrruDtibIe Mr. Kal
teyer. heard that Mr.. RiChey had spurneC
| this offer and retired from the room. / know
| proposition was made TO me through a sec
| ond party to lend money to an alderman. II
was about this time. If would lend an alder
man 500 on II months time he would favOl
| this company. Mr.. COnnOr was the alderman
| o. j. Cook was the second party. Mayor saiC
| Mr.. futile owed Mr.. ConnOr money. BERG
| produced note of COnnOr, Hawk Il Co.
| which was sent to our office. II note would
| be paid, our proposition would be favored
| We held the note and declined the proposition
| In regard to the statement of Mr.. Kslteye
| Offering him stock he pronounced 1t unquali
| 1edly false. No stock has ever been offered L
| living man in San Antonio My relation,
| with Mr.. Cook are business relations. All be
has to do with me is by his own interests.
| (Sgned) l.. s. BERG.
bids for street lighting were opened. l con
| tractcd with the 5. A. 4. l.. Co. to build then
| their house. Previous 10 this time | stopped
| and waited till after bids were opened; on thu
End learned the S. A. L. l.. Co. had loves
| bid for the city lighting and asked Richey anC
| COnnor and Mr.. Smye; COnnor told me the
| Dallas company was to be allowed to pu
| in another bid; award was postponed
| Several days after asked him again, If thu
Dallas company had been allowed to make
| second amendment to their bid, and told IN,
| the figures. Short time after that there wa
another committee meeting. He Richey
| ted me the San Antonio company was SlT
/ lower than the Dallas company. | asked 1
| San Antonio company had been awarded tn
/ contract. He said no; the committee had nd
journed again. did not make Mr. Richpy al
| offer of any kind. Had none to make. Richie,
told me one evening the Dallas company wa
| working very hard on the outside to secur
| this contract. That Conner had come afte
| him and brought him to the Southern hOte
| and introduced him to Mr.. Cole, of Dallas
| That there were overtures made to him, bu
| he never did any work of that kind. dom
| remember who he said made the overtures
| He said had the differer ce been in favor o
| Dallas company, he would still be i'm favor o
| giving it to a home company. went to Sc,
| Mr.. Richey of my own will. Conner last Mon
| day morning met me and had a note, Mr.. Berl
| showed and told him one of the San AntOuit
| Electric Co. owed him money, SS3l5, and a